Every summer, Dierbergs prepares for its biggest local produce event of the year: Homegrown! Each July and August, Dierbergs works with local farmers to stock their stores with locally grown corn, tomatoes, peaches, watermelon and more!
Dierbergs has a tradition of sourcing homegrown produce. "For us, Homegrown is tradition. It's a tradition that's the right thing to do. Right for our customers, who want the best quality for their families. Right for our local farming partners, who can sell their produce to their neighbors. And right for Dierbergs; after all, we're a homegrown company too," Jamie Cassidy, Director of Produce at Dierbergs, said.
Heritage and a Handshake: Country Lane Farms
About an hour and a half from St. Louis, Country Lane Farms embodies agricultural tradition in its purest form. This Mennonite family operation spans four generations, each contributing to a family legacy of exceptional produce grown with time-honored methods.
The farm's bounty—handpicked tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, watermelons, and pumpkins—represents countless hours of careful cultivation. Working from sunup to sundown, family members load their horse-drawn trailer with freshly harvested produce, maintaining practices that connect modern tables with agricultural heritage.
Their relationship with Dierbergs began simply but meaningfully. After inspection revealed exceptional quality, Country Lane Farms established a handshake agreement with Dierbergs that continues to this day.
The Corn Connection: Meyer Farm
"About the only way to get our corn any fresher is if we deliver it to people's houses," Bob Meyer said, whose family has perfected the art of growing sweet corn over five generations. At Meyer Farm, the day begins at 5:30 a.m. with careful harvesting, followed by meticulous packing and direct delivery to Dierbergs: all within six hours.
"That's the big reason why it's better quality; from our farm to the stores, it's less than 24 hours," Bob explained. This remarkable efficiency isn't just good business; it's a family legacy dating back to 1920, when Henry Herman Meyer purchased the land that would become a Centennial Farm. The Meyer family story echoes through the cornfields where Bob's son Neil now works after his father recently retired. With Neil's young boys already riding in the tractor cab during spring fieldwork, the family hopes to extend their agricultural heritage to the 200-year mark.
It Takes Vine: Stuckmeyer Farms
For Mel Stuckmeyer, vine-ripened tomatoes have been a lifelong passion spanning over 70 years. His expertise reveals why locally grown varieties simply taste better: "A homegrown field tomato has better flavor, better texture than a greenhouse tomato because it's just the salt of the earth," Mel said. The secret lies in time; local tomatoes enjoy extended ripening on the vine, developing complex flavors that shipped varieties rarely achieve.
From Field to Fork: Relleke Farm
John Relleke, who maintained a 30-year partnership supplying sweet corn to Dierbergs, puts the farm-to-table advantage in perspective: "It's either in the field or it's in the stores." John has recently retired and passed along the business to his son, Rob.
"Our sweet corn is in the field at 6 a.m. and it's in the stores that evening," John explained. This ultra-short supply chain ensures that each ear retains its natural sugars and peak texture.
Watermelon Wisdom: Ochs Farm
Selecting the perfect watermelon becomes easier with advice from those who know best. Mike Ochs, with 47 years of watermelon farming experience, recommends examining the texture and lines on the fruit's surface; as watermelons ripen, these lines develop more pronounced variance with distinct color separation.
"The longer we can leave it on the vine and still give shoppers a shelf life, the better the quality of that watermelon is," Mike said. His expertise reminds us that perfect produce requires precision: "You can't be lazy and grow watermelons. They have to be picked at a precise time."
Connecting Farms to Families: Scott Lehaman, Produce Buyer
Scott Lehaman, Director of Produce Procurement for Dierbergs, represents the crucial link between local family farms and family dinner tables. During peak growing season, Scott's days begin in the predawn darkness, arriving at his office around 4:30 a.m.
"We harvest almost on demand. Farmers start calling right away, asking what we need so they can get it picked and packed and brought to the warehouse," Scott explained.
Like many of the farmers he works with, Scott shares a generational passion for homegrown produce. Scott is a second-generation produce buyer for Dierbergs; he started under his father's guidance, when his father was the Director of Produce Procurement. "My dad was my mentor for 18 years," Scott shared. His father's 35-year career at Dierbergs established relationships with local growers that Scott continues to cultivate.
As you browse the produce section and see signs identifying local farms, remember that each tomato, ear of corn, or watermelon is a family's generational story of dedication and a connection to the earth that you can taste with every bite.
That's the big reason why it's better quality; from our farm to the stores, it's less than 24 hours.